Correlation of health literacy, health management self-efficacy, and attitude in elderly patients with schizophrenia: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Aim: The study investigated the relationship between chronic diseases and health problems, emotional health status, health literacy, health self-management attitude, and health management self-efficacy in older patients with schizophrenia. It is expected to provide multiple health perspectives in the care of older patients with schizophrenia and improve their health literacy and self-management.

Design: A cross-sectional study.

Methods: Data collection from 2020/09 to 2021/10, the study of older patients with schizophrenia who were diagnosed with schizophrenia and were over 50 years, live in residential mental rehabilitation institutions in eastern Taiwan as older people. Data were collected on demographic variables, chronic diseases, health problems, health literacy, healthy management self-efficacy, and attitudes.

Results: The study results show 61.49 years (SD = 6.57), the gender, health literacy, and health management self-efficacy can effectively explain the variance of health self-management state by 18.5% (F_(3,116) = 10.01, p < 0.000), in which health literacy (β = 0.28, t = 3.07, p = 0.003) and health management self-efficacy (β = 0.19, t = 2.03, p = 0.04) that in the analysis of predictors, emotional health status, and health literacy not only have significant explanatory power on health management self-efficacy and the performance of physical functions but are also important factors affecting the quality of life among the elderly; the important influencing factor of health management self-efficacy and health self-management behaviour is health literacy. Therefore, health literacy is crucial to the health attitudes of older patients with schizophrenia.

Conclusion: This study found that increased health literacy among older patients with schizophrenia can enhance their attitude and ability to manage their health. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND NO PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Nursing can provide nursing measures related to individual health literacy to help patients improve their health literacy, maintain the health of chronic older patients with schizophrenia, reduce elderly schizophrenia disability, enhance patients' ability to manage their self-efficacy and health self-management attitude, and improving the health and quality of life of patients.

Keywords: health literacy; health management attitude; health management self-efficacy; older patients; schizophrenia.